trams
News and articles about work, policy and workers' struggles in transport and distribution around the world.
Striking transport workers in Lyon occupy head office
After six days of strike action 20 workers have occupied parts of the head office of Keolis, the company responsible for the city's public transport.
The strike action began on Thursday with strong support by workers leaving only 58% of metro; 32% of tram and 25% of bus services running. Workers were protesting against management attempts to remove a large number of conditions from their contracts.
1891: London bus workers' strike
A history of the first strike by London transport workers in 1891, which was over pay and conditions and largely successful. The article also contains some information about developments in bus workers' unions around the same period.
The first person to try and organise the London tram and bus workers into a union, was a young barrister called Thomas Sutherst.
He managed, with considerable help from the London Trades Council to organise between two and three thousand tram workers, into The London County Tramway & Omnibus Employees union founded in 1889.
Norwegian train drivers strike for Gaza
Norwegian transport workers engage in short symbolic strike against the attack on Gaza.
On Thursday 8 January all trains in the whole of Norway, and all trams and subways in Oslo, stood still for two minutes in protest against the Israeli invasion. The union issued the following information for passengers:
General strike over prices brings Belgium to a halt
A nationwide strike against rising prices disrupted transport, retailing and manufacturing across Belgium on Monday.
High-speed international rail services in and out of the country to France, the UK, Germany and the Netherlands were cancelled and picketing disrupted the port of Antwerp.
Workers were protesting in advance of the government's 2009 budget to demand action on inflation and the rising cost of living.
The Ecological Challenge: Three Revolutions are Necessary
With a planetary ecological crisis on hand, it can no longer be denied that socialism will be incompatible with mass production and mass consumption. Indeed, even without returning to Malthusian catastrophe theories, we are forced to admit that the planet’s resources are not inexhaustible. These resources could provide for humanity’s needs, but only if they are used in a reasonable and rational way, i.e., in a manner directly opposed to capitalist logic, which in itself is a source of imbalance.
The Ecological Challenge: Three Revolutions are Necessary
by Alternative Libertaire
More strikes expected as Greece passes pension reform
Greek unions promise to continue protests against the government's pension reforms, passed on Thursday.
The pension reform raises the retirement age for women to 65 and workers in hazardous industries will have to work an extra two years. Many accuse the conservative government of going back on pre-election promises not to cut pension rights.
Strike brings Brussels public transport to a halt
Public transport in Brussels was almost entirely halted on Wednesday, as bus and tram drivers went on strike for improved safety, after a bus was attacked with a molotov cocktail.
Starting at 6.30, citywide buses and trams were completely shut down. Metro services were reported to be overcrowded beyond capacity.
Greece heading towards general strike
Greek workers are set to go on general strike tomorrow (Wednesday 19th March) in protest of the government's planned pension reforms.
The government's reforms would mean the merging of pension funds and increasing the pension age for some workers. The government, however, has not made public any details on the size of savings that will accrue from the reforms. The trade unions have also argued that the current pension system could survive if bosses were made to pay their contributions.
Greece: general strike by public service workers
Public service workers in Greece have gone on strike, for the second time in two months, to defend their pensions.
The strikes have virtually paralysed the country as workers nation-wide seek to defend their pensions and protest against a government that has broken its promises.
Anti-capitalist actions around mass transit in San Francisco, 1993-1995
A personal account of some actions towards encouraging a "culture of non-payment" in a big city public transit system.
In the spring of 1993, San Francisco Mayor Frank Jordan launched an attack on the living standards of the city’s working class by demanding a fare increase of 25 cents per ride on MUNI. MUNI is San Francisco’s main public transit system, made up of motor coaches, trolleys, metro trains, and the world-famous cable cars, with approximately 686,000 passenger boardings every weekday.
